Posted by Robin (204.227.220.38) on August 30, 2001 at 20:22:45:
In Reply to: Warning signs? posted by Colin on August 30, 2001 at 08:10:20:
I'm sorry about your depression, and I truly hope that you do not get hit with another cycle of these attacks. As to whether or not this depression is an indicator of an oncoming attack or not, I cannot answer. Your questions do however remind me of a post from Todd in response to one of my posts. Since I cannot state the questions any better than he did, I will paste a portion of his post here:
***But taken together, your posts raise an interesting subject - to what extent do we "control" the frequency/severity of attacks?
It has long been known that patients with a positive attitude have much higher and generally faster recovery rates from a broad spectrum of illnesses. In contrast, there are actually studies into voodoo that seem to demonstrate that people have died after having a curse placed on them. The theory is that the victim "thought" or "believed" themselves into death. Whatever the explanations, it seems rather clear that we can influence our health by our thoughts and beliefs.
So, now what? I'm certainly NOT saying that all we have to do is "don't worry, be happy" and the Demon will say "Rats - now I have to go find some miserable SOB to torment".
Rather, I think there are several lessons we should consider. First, hope/belief/attitude such as you likely felt upon getting the magnet mattress may very well provide at least temporary relief. This is a two-edged sword - the upside being the relief, the downside being the likelihood of someone discovering the "cure", if only for themselves. Unfortunately, these cures rarely work next time around.
From my way of thinking, the more important issue is just how much CAN we affect our cycles/attacks? I mean no disrespect or putdown to anyone in this next statement. I just think it's something we should consider:
Many of the most positive "I refuse to let the Demon control my life" posters here are also the ones with the longest remissions, or the chronics with the fewest attacks. Conversely, many of the posters who struggle with keeping a positive attitude seem to be among the longest and hardest hit.
FLAW in this idea! Here we hit upon a chicken/egg thing - does the seemingly more positive attitude help beat back the Demon or do the Demon's dasterdly deeds upon the worst hit cause them to have less-positive attitudes? *****
There is more to this post (August 29, "Coincidence or Mind Over Cluster?) but I wont copy it all.
Suffice it to say that his response really made me start thinking and wondering. DO we have the ability to "control", to a certain extent, the frequency/severity/onset/remission of these attacks? Could the onset of your headaches somehow be triggered BY the depression? Or is the depression, like you're wondering, be a warning sign of what's to come? I wish I had the answers...maybe in those answers would lie the answers to a lot of questions.
Anyway, I'll quit rambling for now. I truly hope you are now, and forever will be pain free.
Take care, my friend
Robin